


i know many other paths, but i want the one with you

by jenmoong (theanticoffee)



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Flirty Na Jaemin, Fluff, Inspired by Poetry, Inspired by Real Events, Lee Jeno is Whipped, M/M, Na Jaemin is Whipped, Poetry, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:53:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24517228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theanticoffee/pseuds/jenmoong
Summary: Jeno is a busy poet. When things get overwhelming, he travels to the central of the city to clear his mind. It has all kinds of winding paths he can choose from. It makes him feel free.But honestly, there's another reason why he continues to take rides through the central.
Relationships: Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin
Comments: 4
Kudos: 43





	i know many other paths, but i want the one with you

**Author's Note:**

> /obviously/ heavily inspired by jeno and jaemin's bike adventures. esp the latest one. and of course by the 100 jaemjens vs 100 y/o jaemjens question. 
> 
> btw, it's june 3rd!
> 
> happy jaemjen day !! 
> 
> and of course, happy pride month !!

Panting heavily to catch his breath, Jeno wipes a drop of sweat on his forehead. He dons his sunglasses to shield his eyes from the sun. He didn’t take into consideration the heatwave when he had left his home to enjoy summer. Although the weather is extremely hot and exhausting, he rides his bike to clear his mind.

It feels great to feel the air blow past him as he moves, feeling the sun on his skin. It's the kind of break he needs from his work as a poet. It also gives him a reason to work his legs as he is mostly glued in his bed. He likes to go down to the central of the city where he can freely choose from all kinds of winding paths. It makes him feel free.

But honestly, there's another reason why he continues to take rides through the central.

Luckily for Jeno, someone else also has the similar idea to him.

* * *

The first time, Jeno rode past the man with blue hair, gentle brown eyes, and pretty smile, they made eye contact. He was stunned and couldn't look away. Thank god he came back to his senses after hearing a scream from a passerby or else he'll end up getting tossed in a fountain after crashing on it.

_Such a pretty angel. His eyes are the only halos I'll ever look at._

The second time, Jeno noticed how the man dresses. He was clothed in a simple denim jacket but it's slipped down his shoulders, revealing the sleeveless shirt he is wearing underneath. Of course, he paired it with denim jeans and a pair of black sneakers.

_Oh, dearest heavens, I found your masterpiece again. How dare you let him walk on earth._

The third time, Jeno found himself stunned by the man again. His pink hair turned into striking blue. He was under the shade of a tree, straddling his bike while drumming his fingers on its handlebars. He had earphones plugged on his ears, clearly jamming to some good music. He realized that he was staring too long because when the man turned his head towards his direction, they made eye contact. The man flashed him a smile before paddling away.

_ If I throw my heart into the sky, would you be there to catch it? _

The fourth time, Jeno was peacefully walking up one of the many steep slopes in the city, pushing his bike with all his might when someone tapped him from behind. When he realized that it's the pretty man he saw in the central, he turned away in an attempt to hide his shock.

"Yes?" he stuttered, clearing his throat. He was clearly embarrassed.

"I'm Jaemin," the man introduced himself with a bright smile, offering a hand for Jeno to shake. "I suppose we kind of know each other."

The sight of his charming smile made Jeno's heart flutter.

He was lost for words.

Jaemin insisted on getting his handshake, but he was left amused as Jeno gave him a high five and sped off on his bike.

_ Can I be the moon that you'll follow home? _

The fifth time, they met by accident on the intersection towards a park. Jeno stopped on his tracks and apologized, "I'm sorry for being awkward the last time."

Jaemin tossed his hair and smiled coyly as he rode past him, "No big deal, Jeno."

"I don't recall telling you my name," the writer told himself and followed the moving figure through his gaze, bewilderment evident on his face.

_ Maybe you could use an extra piece in your puzzle. Maybe you can have me. It's okay if I end up in one of the lose ends. _

The sixth time, Jeno heaved a sigh of disappointment as he left a supermarket. He had been looking for his wallet since the day he lost it. He had been tracing every place he went through, but unfortunately, no one turned in his missing wallet. Everything he needed was in there. His cash, credit cards, receipts and identification cards. Hell, he might even have left some passwords in there.

He was about to mount his bike parked in the small lot in front of the establishment when someone pulled him, spun him around, and had him pressed against a pole.

"Jaemin?" he gawked at the man before him. There's alertness in his eyes, behind the glasses that sat crookedly on his nose.

"I didn't know you wear glasses," Jaemin commented and wrapped his arms around Jeno, trapping him against the pole.

"I'm sorry, but how can I help you?" Jeno scrunched his nose, turning to the side to keep some distance to himself. From the corner of his eyes, he noted that he was wearing a lose tie, a gray dress shirt paired with off white coat and dress pants. Maybe he went out on his ride for today during his lunch break. Jeno couldn't think of any other reason why someone would be riding their bike in the middle of the day looking like a model.

"I have something for you," the man whispers, taking his hands off Jeno. He turned his body sideways as he carefully took out a thick wallet from his back pocket.

At that, Jeno's face lighted up, “How did you get this? Where did you find this?"

Jeno reached out to grab his wallet to check its content. Jaemin was amused by his reaction. He found him really cute.

But of course, things just don't end up like that.

Jeno trips.

Over nothing.

Like, it wasn’t even a rock on the ground that made him lose his balance, the huge mess of a human just decided to fall over like that, and for a second, Jaemin didn't know what to do. Luckily, he was quick enough to reach out for Jeno's arm, pulling him back before his face can meet the ground.

The poet gasped, turning around in surprise, and suddenly they’re standing just a breath apart.

"Next time, be more careful, okay?" Jeno was not sure which one Jaemin was pertaining to but he gave him a nod anyway. His glasses were dangerously low on his nose, and just as Jaemin found it adorable, he reached up to push them back up the bridge of his nose. Jaemin smiled brightly at the action and Jeno doesn't know which one is more blinding. Him or the sun.

Before Jeno could even say another word, Jaemin was already skipping his way back to his bike leaned against an empty bench. They waved each other goodbye.

Jeno sighed and clutched his wallet against his chest in relief. As he was doing so, he noticed a paper hanging loosely from it. It's a small note from Jaemin.

We met the other day. You were walking up the street when you dropped this. Do you remember? You're lucky I decided to change paths on the way home.

Jeno parted his lips, completely baffled, and comes to realize that fate, not that he really believed in it, has done him a favor. At the end of the note is Jaemin's signature and phone number.

That night, instead of just sending a simple text message of gratitude, Jeno decided to give Jaemin a call.

"Fancy hearing your voice," gushed Jaemin from the other line. "I guess I have mistaken you to be the type to text rather than call."

"Oh, my hands are hurting from all the typing I've been doing," Jeno stuttered, huffing an awkward chuckle. Of course, his hands hurt; all he did after getting his wallet back is write a stanza after another while thinking about the man he met. "I hope I'm not disturbing you."

"It's fine; I'm just finishing my homework," Jaemin insisted. The older man swore he heard a car honk in the background.

"Outside?"Jeno asked, quickly checking the time on his phone. "It's pretty late."

"Yeah, I'm actually working on an outdoor photoshoot right now. I'm on overtime since I was late," Jaemin mumbled. "I'm lucky they let me have a break."

"Was this because you returned my wallet earlier?" the poet recalled, typing another line into the document he's working on.

"Partly," the younger babbled, laughing lightly. "I was following you around all day in an attempt to actually give back your wallet as soon as possible given my schedule, but you're always too quick on your feet."

Jaemin biked his way to the places he recalled seeing Jeno. It was hard given the hustle and the bustle of the city. Actually, it was only a coincidence when he found Jeno outside of the supermarket because the road there leads to the first place they  met.

"Why didn't you give it to me immediately when you first found it?" Jeno wondered and with this, he earned a snicker in response.

"In case you don't remember," Jaemin recalled the incident with a gleeful laugh. "I asked for a handshake after I introduced myself and you suddenly left me behind. You were already cycling a little too far away when I saw your wallet."

Jeno palmed his face after remembering what happened. He sort of freaked out when he came across him that's why he left immediately. It was embarassing. He really made his heart flutter that time. Not to mention the budding nervousness he felt in his veins that time. 

Jeno smiled to himself when Jaemin became a reason for his frequent bike rides. Every time he explored the city, he hoped to see him. Be it near or far.

The cat definitely got his tongue at that moment.

"But we also met yesterday, why didn't you give it sooner?" Jeno found himself confused and intrigued at the same time.

Jaemin chewed on his lower lip from the other line, debating whether to tell Jeno the real reason or not. He felt guilty keeping the wallet to himself, but he swore, he didn't even open it to rummage the content. He only even slipped the note in there. He shyly apologized and sighed, "I hoped we could, you know, meet again."

_ Now I wonder if those kinds of love exist, the ones that keeps you off guard even after 100 years. I'm thinking about what it feels like to have it with you. _

The seventh time, Jaemin and Jeno met at a busy bookstore. It was Jeno who invited the younger man to one of his bookscapdes. He learned a lot of things about the man during the call they shared. It turned out Jaemin was indeed a model. He was working part time for a small magazine company while joggling with his last term in college.

This time, Jaemin was the sunlight. Cinnamon and all wide eyes as he listened to Jeno's story. The writer might have just found his new muse.

And the muse seemed clueless.

"You wrote all of these?" Jaemin drummed his fingers over the shelves as his eyes scanned the books displayed with Jeno's pseudonym. Jeno figured it won't be a harm to tell his secret to the Jaemin. He was harmless and special after all.

"I’ll take two,” came a declaration from Jaemin. Before Jeno could even say another word, the younger headed to the counter to pay for the books.

"I could have just given you special copies," Jeno whispered from behind. "With my autograph," he added and it made Jaemin let out a soft giggle.

"And then what? Charge me more? I'm not as rich as you are, sir," Jaemin turned and grinned at him, shrugging his shoulders. He collected his change and slipped the book in the bag he was carrying.

"Plus, with my purchase you might end up in the top spot," Jaemin teased and pointed to the Top 10 bestsellers from the last month displayed on a glass. Jeno was on the fourth spot. The past year hadn't been easy on him as a few publication companies reject his work. He's grateful he earned enough money by working online as a translator and used what he earned to self publish his book.

"Been there," Jeno proudly replied to younger man but he was already out in the sunlight. It dappled him into fragments of a summer impressionist painting. He had brown hair this time. All his golds and peach tones seemed to blaze wildly, vividly flaming under the sun's haze.

Beautiful.

They biked around the city for a good hour before deciding to have a snack at small bakery. Jeno offered it as his treat and Jaemin was very thankful about it.

"How's linguistics taking care of you these days?" Jeno asked as he cut his pretzel in half before pouring syrup on it. It was the major Jaemin took up in college and coincidentally, it was what Jeno took up as well.

"I'd say pretty harsh," Jaemin pouted as he chewed his waffle, fork hanging losely by his mouth. "Countless of deadlines and stuff."

In general, it was Jaemin's life that was harsh. Sometimes, being a student and a part time model drove him mad. There was too much stress and pressure. Not to mention he barely had time for himself. That's why he loved to sneak and bike around to clear his mind. It also gave him a reason to work his legs as he is mostly the type to go lazy. He liked to go down to the central of the city not only because of its winding paths but also because of its many mouthwatering food places.

Honestly, apart from those, there's another reason why he continued to take rides through the central. And that reason was in front of him.

"I hope I was a great help to your homework," Jeno chuckled. The homework Jaemin was doing actually involved translating some english scriptures to korean.

Jaemin peeked at Jeno through his lashes, blowing air on his newly cut piece of waffle. He offered it to him with a smile and said, "Of course."

They talked almost all afternoon until Jaemin realized he needed to get back to work and left in a rush. Jeno wished it could have lasted longer. It had been the best conversation he had in a while. Not to mention it was filled to the brim with Jaemin's flirtations and innuendoes that were greatly welcomed by Jeno.

_ Let's own the world, we'll make meteors collide. _

The eight time, Jeno asked Jaemin to meet him by the riverside. It had been a while since they saw each other given their busy schedules. The latter was 15 minutes late because he just came out of his class. They biked amongst the crowd, laughing every time someone curses at them.

A little later, Jeno asked Jaemin if they can take a break because the sun is on its peak already. He then presented the draft of his new book to him.

"You sure you're not making me proofread this?" Jaemin teased as he scanned the material.

"Now that you mentioned it, maybe I should," Jeno countered and watches Jaemin closely, leaning his arms on the handlebars of his bike to focus on him. He earned an excessive amount of teasing in return.

Jaemin stopped teasing him when he found a page that piqued his interest. He read with a shy smile,  _"One day, the clouds will descend to give you my love letters, and you'll know that every star they carry contains my wish to be with you each passing day."_

Jaemin snaked his hand on Jeno's neck and grabbed him closer. The latter blinked in surprise, raising his eyebrows to ask for a response.

Jeno drew his eyes down for the first time since he had been drawn closer, looking very pointedly at the pair of lips in front of his face, but earned only gentle fingers making waves through his hair in response, “Care to explain?"

"Do I really have to?" Jeno's asked, pursing his lips. He inhaled sharply when his strands were given a slight tug. Jaemin angled his head to the side with playful smile.

"No," Jaemin answered and kissed him like it was their first time and last. He ended the kiss with a hearty chuckle and sped off while waving the book in one hand, leaving Jeno with a wistful expression in his wake.

"Hold it right there!" exclaimed the poet, cycling furiously to catch up his muse. Frustrated, he threw his bike to the side of the path and ran after Jaemin, using his body as a shield to halt him in his track.

Jeno captured Jaemin's lips in a twisted conquest.

* * *

Panting heavily to catch his breath, Jeno wipes a drop of sweat on his forehead. He dons his sunglasses to shield his eyes from the sun. He didn’t take into consideration the heatwave when he had left his home to enjoy summer. Although the weather is extremely hot and exhausting, he rides his bike to clear his mind.

It feels great to feel the air blow past him as he moves, feeling the sun on his skin. It's the kind of break he needs from his work as a poet. It also gives him a reason to work his legs as he is mostly glued in his bed. He likes to go down to the central of the city where he can freely choose from all kinds of winding paths. It makes him feel free.

But honestly, there's another reason why he continues to take rides through the central.

You see, Jeno's boyfriend loves to bike through the central to find his sweet escape, and there is no way he is missing their 100th time together. He's already made up his mind that he isn't going to miss the opportunity to be him until their 100th year together either.

**Author's Note:**

> i started working on this two days ago. thanks to the sudden storm of nomin content.
> 
> anyways, i hope you're doing great and taking care of yourself. stay safe!
> 
> thank you for reading! it'll be really nice to hear from you.
> 
> you may reach me on twitter @cherishjeno or simply at the comments section. :) 
> 
> also, i hope you can spare some of your time to sign petitions, and if you can donate, look here:  
> \- parasapinas.carrd.co  
> \- moreblminfo.carrd.co  
> \- bringjustice.carrd.co
> 
> let's do our part in fighting against injustice and racism. let's educate ourselves and other people on social issues, and speak up about situations that go against human rights.


End file.
